This study investigated the assessment literacy of teachers of English as a Foreign Language in postsecondary education in Oman. Using self-assessment questionnaires, it examined teachers' assessment competencies and practices and digital assessment literacy. Multivariate and correlation analyses tested the effects of gender, age, pre-service and…

Drawing from a larger CIPP program evaluation ("Context, Input, Processes, Products") comprised of 11 analyses of the ETS online teacher training course titled "Teaching Academic English with the TOEFL iBT® Test" (TAE), this paper triangulates three qualitatively different data sets and seeks to understand how participants…

Simulations provide a unique opportunity to practice newly acquired skills in a low risk environment. For this reason, simulations have historically been used in preservice teacher education programs to enable student teachers to apply generalized pedagogical practices. This pilot study examined how simulations could be integrated with inservice…

This study aimed to examine students' work in online assessments to gain more understanding for designing continuous assessments in a blended learning environment for prospective primary school teachers. The study took place during emergency remote teaching due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Course work for prospective primary school teachers in the…

It has been argued that successful professional development efforts, especially in assessment-literacy, need to address emotional components and the existence of implicit conceptions in order to raise consciousness and ultimately transform practice (Xu and Brown, 2016: p. 156). Experiential approaches have been shown to be highly effective for…

Pragmatic competence is among the explicitly acknowledged sub-competences that make the communicative competence in any language (Bachman & Palmer, 1996; Council of Europe, 2001). Within the notion of pragmatic competence itself, "implicature (implied meanings)" comes to the fore as one of the five main areas there (Levinson, 1983).…

Language tools are reflections of the academic traditions of assessment developers, as well as the perceptions of language quality as held by a society. The certification of Quebec's teachers offers an interesting case in point: the Québec Government's "ministère de l'Éducation, du Loisir et du Sport" (MELS) requires that all students in…

The aim of this report is to present the findings of the 3rd and 4th phases of a longitudinal study into the impact of changes in the TOEFL® exam on teaching in test preparation classrooms. Phase 1 (2003-2004) described the type of teaching taking place in 12 TOEFL preparation classrooms before the introduction of the new TOEFL. Phase 2…

The IBT TOEFL has become the principal example of online high stakes language testing since 2005. Most instructors who do the preparation for IBT TOEFL face two main realities: first, students are eager and highly motivated to take the test because of the prospective implications; and, second, specific studies would be necessary to see if…

Instruments used in a study by M. B. Kinzie and M. A. Delacourt (1991), the Attitude towards Computer Technologies (ACT) and the Self-efficacy for Computer Technologies (SCT), assess preservice teachers' perceived usefulness of and comfort level with specific computer technologies. This study uses a population confirmed to be similar to that used…

This study was intended to establish "base-line" data with respect to teacher utilization of available microcomputer software for the purposes of: (1) generating teacher-made appraisals; (2) scoring/analyzing teacher-made appraisals; and (3) assigning and recording grades. Differences in reported utilization at the K-4, 5-8, and 9-12 grade levels…

This edition of the "Research Bulletin" is a compilation of papers presented at the annual William F. Breivogel Conference in 1993. The conference theme was alternative and portfolio assessment. Papers were grouped into assessment in general, portfolio assessment, and alternative assessments and curriculum questions. The selected papers…

A method for improving curriculum and schools through the local development of competency tests in basic skills--the Competency-Rossville Model (CRM)--is outlined. The method was originated in the school system of Rossville (Illinois) and has been tested in five other midwestern school systems. The approach leads the faculty of the school, with…

The purpose of this study was to determine if the 55 test specifications for the Praxis I: Academic Skills Assessments computer-based tests (CBT) and the Praxis I: Pre-Professional Skills Tests (PPST) were judged to be appropriate for entry-level vocational education teachers regardless of specialty area. The test specification statements were…